The Last Year: Senior Chronicles
by XellAn-Chan
Summary: the Slayers take on high school...Wildcat style! JCHS will never be the same! L/G, F/V, X/OC (possible Z/A later on) rated PG for language *new chapter up!!*
1. Crushed

Note from XellAn: Here, by popular demand, is part of a longer story. Many of you asked that i right longer stories, so i'm taking you up on that. This is something i started writing while at work one night. the idea came to me after reading several fics involving the Slayers in high school and i gor to thinking: "what if they were part of the JC crew?" so here they are, part of my school. all the other random people are friends/enemies/acquaintances of mine, but with different names. so i do actually know these people, for example, Merry is my best friend; Mike really is the guy i have a crush on. and all the classes mentioned in the fic are classes i have taken/am taking now.  
  
Enjoy! ^_^  
  
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*Chapter One: Crushed*  
  
"...Mais, vous avez une ideé...Il y a une bonne ideé!..." My thoughts faded in and out of French class. That was the last place I wanted to be. The teacher was droning on and on, an English word never leaving her mouth. Sighing, I dragged my gaze away from the window and instead looked at the boy next to me. He sat slumped down at his desk, his long blond hair spilling over his shoulders and down his back, a dazed look on his face. I felt exactly how he looked. I sighed. BORING!  
  
"...Est-ce que vous avez une ideé, Gourry?"  
  
Startled, he looked up, the glazed look leaving his eyes. The teacher had called on him and he -as always- hadn't been paying attention. "...Wha?" He began before remembering that he had to speak in French. "Repetez, s'il vous plâit." He said sheepishly. That was one of two phrases I had taught him early on, one of the only two things he could say perfectly. The other was "Je ne sais pas" --"I don't know."  
  
Shaking her head, she turned to look at me. I had been thinking of Mike, the guy I liked, not paying attention. I had no clue what the question was about. "Et vous, Mia?" I thought quickly. "Une ideé? Pour quoi?" "Penses!" "Je ne pense jamais en cette classe." (translation: an idea? for what? Think! i never think in this class.) Madame frowned. The class burst out laughing. Gourry looked at me, his eyes sparkling with laughter. "Tu es amusant." He smiled. "Ecoutez!!!" Madame demanded, looking quite frustrated. Some how, we managed to calm down and listen to the question again. And I did manage to answer it properly before class was over.  
  
"So, how was Hell?" Gourry's best friend, Lina, asked us cheerfully when we met her after class. She was a junior, a fiery red-head, and one of my better friends. "You wait until you're in there next year." I grumbled, "We'll see how much you like it." She frowned, "Don't talk about next year. I'll miss you guys. Even Xellos." I grinned. Xellos was my best guy friend of seven years, a guy I'd grown up with. And boy, was he a nuisance. We were headed fo college together the following fall.  
  
We trooped off to Math III -Trigonometry- together. I hated that class more than French. It was both mine and Gourry's second go-round, we'd failed the year before, and I just didn't get it at all. How would the Law of Sines help me in real life? Or the Quadratic Formula?  
  
We sat crowded in the back corner. Lina and Gourry were up against the wall, he in front of her. I sat next to her, behind another junior and friend of Lina's, Filia. The pretty blond and I didn't get along to well, mostly because of Xellos. He'd done something to Filia in elementary school that she'd never forgiven him for and she hated his guts.  
  
I managed to struggle through that day's class work and sort of learn about something called the "BEN equation" before breaking awayto my favorite class: Art. I was taking a creative crafts class with, of all people, Filia. She loved pottery and it was the only class she could take which allowed her to use a wheel.  
  
I pushed my way down the hall after Trig, Filia trailing behind me. She followed me like that everyday, not just because we were in the same class, but because she wasn't aggresive enough to bully her way through the crowd. "...And they say that rich little freshman's got a crush on him! Isn't that ridiculous?" I seemed to only be hearing parts of conversations that day. My least favorite prep in the school, Tehra, and her firend Brielle were holding up traffic with their gossip. "No way, Bri! Get out! He'd never go for a freshman. Besides, I'm asking him to the Homecoming Dance."  
  
I snickered as I squeezed past them. I knew damn well who they were talking about: the hottest guy in the school, Zelgadiss. I'd known Zel since the nineth grade when we were lab partners in Earth Science. All the girls liked him. Funny thing was, he didn't see himself as attractive. He had zero self-esteem and would never date a prep.  
  
I heard Filia squeal behind me. That meant one of two things. Some one had pushed her or she'd seen Valgaav. Filia, I'd been told by Xellos, had had a crush on Val since she was ten. Their families were friends and they'd grown up together. She'd known him all her life. They'd been part of the same crowd until Val, for whatever reason, joined the Goths. By his sophomore year, he was wandering the school more angsty and brooding than Zelgadiss. And it took a lot to be more depressing than Zel.  
  
The idea of Filia liking Valgaav amused me, to say the least. She was the kind, religious girl who wore a skirt almost every day. He had greenish hair and an extensive vocabulary of naughty words. Not the ideal couple in my mind. My twin sister, Elisa, was friends with him and they ate lunch with us sometimes. He liked Filia almost as much as she liked him. But did they tell each other? Nooo....  
  
I was in between projects in Art, so I watched Filia throwing a pot on the wheel. There was something inspiring about the way her small hands formed a beautiful pot out of that ugly gray lump. It reminded me of Zelgadiss, how he thought he was so ugly, but he wasn't. I guess beauty really is in the eye of the beholder.  
  
My oldest and most wonderful friend, Merry, was waiting for me at my locker after the bell rang. It was lunch time and a bunch of us had lunch together. The cafeteria was crowded, as usual, but there was one vacant table that we had claimed as our own when Gourry, Zel, Elisa, Merry, Xellos and I were freshmen. We were seniors, no one dared fight us for it, so it was our table, every day.  
  
"Hey Zel." I plopped down near my moody lab partner. We'd been in science together for three years anbd every year we'd been partners. He'd told me earlier that year that AP Chem was lonely without me, despite the never ending mob of girls begging to be his partner. "Word in the hall's some little freshie's got a crush on you."  
  
Merry nodded, confirming the rumor. "Yup. That little rich girl. You know, Gracia's sister." Zelgadiss turned pale. He remembered Gracia well enough. Mostly he remembered her ear-drum shattering laugh. She'd dropped out in her sophomore year and ran away from home.  
  
"Oh," I continued, "I also heard that the Home Ec Girl's got a crush on you, Gourry." He blinked his sky blue eyes. "Home Ec Girl? Which one?" I frowned, trying to remember her name. It was something weird I could never pronounce right. "The one Lina knows...What's her name?"  
  
"Slyphiel." Lina sat down beside Gourry, "Yeah, she likes him all right. He's her idol." She said bitterly. She stared at her lunch for a moment and I knew I shouldn't have brought that up. A Lina not scarfing down her food equaled a troubled Lina. It didn't surprise me. She liked him. A lot. And he never seemed to notice. "And Elisa says Valgaav's got a thing for Filia." I concluded.  
  
"How'd every one do on the Government test?" Merry asked. She usually avoided crush conversations because she liked and was going out with a guy, coincidentally, named Mike and teasing usually ensued about what they were up to. "I aced it." I said through a mouthful of pineapple. "How is it," Zel asked dryly, "That you have time for all this gossip and every one else's love life and still manage to have a steady ninety-five average?" I smiled sweetly as I swallowed. "I'm just gifted." He rasied an eyebrow. "If you're so great, how come Misha hasn't asked you out yet?" He questioned. Well, there went all my confidence. I had issues with my looks and that was just the right thing to say to remind me of it. "You had to bring Misha up, didn't you? He'll never ask me out, because I'm not pretty like Lina or Fi or Elisa. And don't call him 'Misha.' It sounds weird coming from your mouth." I informed him. "You call him that all the time!" Came his protest. "Well, Mike is such a boring name. Misha is much more interesting. But that's my name for him, don't you call him by it!"  
  
"Honestly, Mia, are you still going on about Mike?" Elisa had decided to eat with us that afternoon, "When are you going to give up on him and go out with Xellos?" I frowned. Elisa was the prettier of us two. She could have Mike, if she wanted him. She didn't have guy problems. "For one thing, he's never asked me out. And for another, why would he? He's my best friend and I'm not going out with my best friend." She blinked. "Why not? He's mad about you. Haven't you ever seen the way he looks at you when you go on and on about Mike?"  
  
I ignored her and concentrated on my sandwich. What she said was true. Xellos did not like it when I even mentioned Mike. Not at all. But it felt funny, thinking about liking him and him liking me. I did like him, but friendships got destroyed over love. And his was one friendship I didn't want to lose.  
  
Filia and Xellos appeared almost simultaneously at the table. Filia because she'd been last in the lunch line (again) and Xellos because it was his custom to show up any place whenever he damn well pleased. They both eyed the one remaining chair. Then Xel smiled. "You saved me a seat! How nice!" Instead of claiming the chair, however, he dropped down on Elisa's lap as if she weren't there. "Get offa me, you idiot!" She shrieked, "If you're gonna sit on some one, sit on my sister!" He just grinned. "I'd rather stay here. It's quite nice and the view is very lovely."  
  
I felt a familiar prickle in the back of my throat and my whole face felt quite warm. The emotions I felt then were usually emotions reserved for a Mike sighting -Mike with another girl, that is. I was jealous. "I've gotta go." I said abruptly, "I hafta finish my English homework. Lina, you and Gourry can have the rest of my lunch." I stood up and practically ran out of the cafeteria before I started to cry.  
  
Elisa, back in the lunch room, also stood up, dumping Xellos on the floor. "You jerk! What the hell did you do that for?!" She raged, "You must be dumber than Gourry."  
  
This comment resulted in a "Huh?" from Gourry who was eating my Pringles, a "Hey!" from Lina who was fighting with her companion for said Pringles and a "What'd I do?" from Xellos. "How do you think Mia feels right now, you Chode?! Every one's always telling us I'm the 'prettier' twin! You're her friend; you like her, and you just chose me over her!" She glared at him. "I...I d-didn't know she'd get so upset..." He stammerd, "I mean, she doesn't like me like that!" My twin seemed ready to explode. "Of all the hopeless!...No matter what she says, she does too like you 'like that!' You'd better go find her!"  
  
But I was no where to be found. I'd hid myself in the library for the rest of the period (something I was extremely good at) and went to English/Lit late so neither Xellos nor Merry would be able to talk to me. All I'd get from Merry was sympathy. What I wanted was to rip Xellos' violet hair out by it's roots. And to kill Elisa. If he really liked me as much as she said, why was he such a jerk?  
  
"Sorry I was late, Miss C." Both of their eyes were on me as I handed the teacher my pass, "I was in the library doing some important work." What I'd been doing alternated between crying and plotting how I was going to kill Xellos, but hey, it was important to me. She nodded and I took my seat in the back corner. Just to annoy Xellos, i stared at Mike all period. Xel kept poking me and trying to talk to me, so I raise my hand. "Miss C?" She turned around from the chalkboard to look at me, "What is it, Mia?" She asked. "Xellos is bothering me. Can I switch seats?" She sighed. I was the only person who hadn't asked to move away from him at that point. He drove every one crazy. "All right. You may sit in Rika's seat, since she's not here." Sweet victory! I got up and switched seats, much to Xellos' dismay. Rika sat right next to Mike.  
  
Ignoring Xellos wasn't hard. I'd gotten used to his obnoxiousness over the years and was very good at tuning him out. Ignoring every one else's questions...that was another story.  
  
Especially when "every one else" included a younger brother, a younger sister and a twin. Siôn, Kristienne and Elisa would not let up as we walked home together. "I heard you and Xel got into a fight!" Siôn exclaimed as soon as he saw me. He was a junior, a computer whiz and quite the ladies man. "We didn't get into a fight." I said sourly,"He was just being an ass, like usual." My mood was going from bad to worse and they didn't help. "Did he kiss you to make up?!" Kristienne sqealed. For the past three years, she'd been trying to set us up together after deciding we'd make the perfect couple. "Shut up, guys!" Elisa quieted them, "Mia doesn't want to hear your stupid questions and comments." Ah, Elisa to the rescue.  
  
It wasn't until later that she inquired after the outcome of lunch herself. "What did he do?" She asked curiously as I did my math homework. I turned away from her. "Why don't you ask him yourself? You're obviously better friends than I thought. I'm sure he'll be happy to sit right down and tell you all about it." I said curtly.  
  
"Look, I know what he did was mean and you're hurt..."  
  
Hurt? HURT?! An image of Xellos floated through my mind. He was my best friend, the guy, subconsciously, I always wanted to be with. I just hadn't realized it until I saw him so chummy with my twin sister, of all people. He was so funny, so cute. And he was always so cheerful. He'd always been there for me when things weren't right. Misha was just a fantasy. Xellos was real, I liked him and I always thought he liked me. A few tears slid down my cheeks. Hurt? I was crushed.  
  
"...But he didn't mean to upset you. He really likes you, but he doesn't think you like him." She finished saying whatever the hell she'd been babbling about.  
  
"Really?" I sniffled, "He really likes me?" She smiled, "Of course he does, Mia. What's not to like?" I wiped my eyes, "Well, you're prettier..." I trailed off. "He's not like Mike. Xel doesn't like you cause of how you look, Sis. He likes you cause he knows what kinda person you are. And you know what kinda person he is. He didn't mean anything by that. He was just being a fruitcake." I smiled a little, "When isn't he?"  
  
He was waiting for me at my locker the next morning, a business-like expression on his face. "I don't like Elisa, Mia." He said in a very serious, out-of-character tone. "I know." I said softly. "But," He continued, "I do like you." A nod, "I know." I whispered. "And...?" He prompted. "I like you too, Xel." He glomped on to me, "I thought as much!"  
  
We walked down the hall to first period Psychology together, he with his arm around me. He kissed me on the cheek and any thoughts of my liking Mike were, well, crushed.  
  
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Well, what do we think? i'm working on a second chapter. good? bad? horrible? let me know. ^_^ 


	2. Kiss the Cook

*Chapter Two: Kiss the Cook*  
  
"The recipe needs to be doubled. So how much sugar will you need?" Yawns all around the room. If you're not actually baking something in baking class, it's really, REALLY boring. Plus the Home Economics room wass stifling hot. That, combined with Mrs. Hollis lecturing about using the right amount of sugar was enough to put any one to sleep. And half the class was asleep. Giulia, Xellos and I were slumped down at the back table, dying of both heat and boredom.  
  
One hand waved in the air in response to Mrs. Hollis' question. Well, one hand that would actually know the right answer. The Special Ed kids meant well, but let's face it. They weren't exactly the brightest crayons in the box. (author's note: i do not mean to offend any one. i'm all for mainstreaming.) The hand waving through the air belonged to the only person who actually enjoyed the class no matter what we did, the girl who's name I could never pronounce right.  
  
"Slyphiel?" Mrs. H had become used to her answering every question. She was the teacher's pet, the best baker in the class, and she had a big crush on one of my friends. Guilia and I kind of disliked her. She was such a show off. We weren't bad cooks, but she made everything seem so easy. And Xellos...He was just taking the class because none of the admin liked him having too much time on his hands. He caused too much trouble when left unattended.  
  
"It's two cups, right?" Slyphiel said quietly. She always posed her answers as questions, even though she knew they were the correct answers. That was one of the things that bothered me. The other was that she always gave everything she made to Gourry, because she knew (as did I) the way to his heart was through his stomach. Needless to say, I did not like that. I wanted to see Gourry and Lina get together.  
  
We were baking pies that day, apple to be precise. I hated making pie. The crust always came out too hard, no matter what Guilia, Xel and I did. But not Slyphiel's. Hers was always flakey like it was supposed to be. Siôn, Kristienne, Elisa and my mom all complained about that crust. Dad said he liked it, but I think that was to make me feel better. The Global department, to whom Guilia's pies always went, like theirs imensely. Guilia never took anything home. She always gave it away. Xellos pawned all his stuff off to the kids who didn't like to buy lunch. He made quite a bit selling his desserts.  
  
My boyfriend/best friend's biggest thrill in that class was tormenting the other students. That particular day, he'd snuck in during his Free (Author's note: at my school, a free is sort of like a study hall for upperclassmen. it basically means you can wander around the school, instead of staying in an assigned room, as long as you have a pass.) and switced the sugar in all the units except ours (AN: in my school, a "unit" is the area you cook in) for salt. Therefore, two things would happen: 1) He, Guilia and I would get the best grade for our pies and 2) Slyphiel, for once, would have something that wasn't edible.  
  
He was in rare form that day. Usually he cavorted around the unit, eating apple pieces and raw dough while playing with the melon baller. Other days he scampered throught the room spanking people with a wooden spoon. Ocasionally, he even greased the rolling pins so people couldn't use them. That morning, however, he didn't partake in these or any other stange behaviors. He actually helped me and Guilia, which made every one, including Mrs. Hollis, suspicious. But no one could prove that he'd done anything, nor did they suspect what he'd done since he was still eating the left-over dough rolled in sugar. Even I didn't know what he'd done until later. He even washed the dishes, knowing full well that I would do it since I enjoy washing dishes.  
  
I forgot about it though. It wasn't until we were hanging around in the Main (AN: the Main is what we call the lobby) after school that I remembered his unusual behavior. We were waiting for my younger siblings, Xellos, Elisa and I, and Slyphiel was sharing her pie with several teachers in the office.  
  
Just as Siôn came down the hall with his buddy, Jago, I heard a rather disgusted voice from in the office. "WHAT is in this thing?!" The voice of Mr. Tombier came drfiting through the Main, "It's horrible!" And then there was Slyphiel, tears running down her face and mumbling to herself "...I followed the recipe...I dunno what I did wrong..." Siôn looked at me. Slyphiel was in a couple of his classes. "What's amatter with her?" He asked. "I don't..." Then it dawned on me. "What did you do, Xellos?!" He smiled innocently. "What do you mean? I didn't do anything." I glared. "You know what I mean...all that being helpful in Baking. What didja do to the pies?" He waved a finger at me. "That is a secret."  
  
"You ruined Mia's pie?!" Siôn asked in a dismayed voice. "I didn't do anything to Mia's pie." He defended himself, "I swear to God, I did not contaminate her pie." My fist was in his face, "What did you do to every one else's then? You'd better tell me." Sometimes, bullying him was the only way to get through to him, but not often; usually he liked a good fight. However, having me mad at him was something he didn't enjoy. "I salted them." He admitted. "You WHAT?!" He sighed, "Switched the salt and sugar." "WHY?! What goes through that head of yours?!" He sat down on the floor. "I'm tired of being the worst cook in the class and getting up- staged by a junior. And I wanted you to make the best tasting thing, so I can eat it." I burried my face in my hands. "You could get in so much trouble..." He looked up at me through his violet eyes. "Not if you don't tell. I won't ever do it again if you don't turn me in. I promise I'll be good." He, for once, looked remorsful. How could I resist my big fruitcake? "All right. I won't tell. If you promise." I told him. "I promise. Now let's go eat that pie!"  
  
It actually was the best apple pie I ever made. Maybe because he'd put some effort into our group's work. Perhaps he was a better cook than he thought. Mrs. Hollis told us the next dy that she was proud of us for being the only people to follow the recipe correctly. Xellos, because he felt guilty about what he'd done and how he upset me, brought in a batch of cookies that spelled out "I LUV MIA" which earned him extra credit from Mrs. Hollis and a kiss from me. He was, as he always said, nuttier than a fruitcake but twice as sweet.  
  
"I wasn't mad at you, you know. Just a little disappointed." I informed him while munching on a cookie, "I never thought you'd destroy other people's hard work all for your own benefit." He leaned back in his chair, "Hey, it was for your benefit too. I like to see you happy. When your desserts come out good, you're happy." I smiled. "I guess it was pretty funny, the look on Mr. Tombier's face." I giggled, "He looked as if he'd been poisoned." He nodded, wrapped his arms around me. "The look on your face eating that pie was better. Like you'd died and gone to Heaven." He whispered into my ear. I must've looked like I felt then. "Heaven" wasn't a strong enough word. I kissed him again...Like I said before. Twice as sweet.  
  
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Author's Note: this, i'll admit, is not my finest work. but i was eating that pie, dry crust and all, when i wrote this. my baking class is actually a lot like that, except for the salt thing. reviews, please! ^_^ 


	3. A Load of BS

Chapter 3: A Load of BS  
  
By XellAn-Chan  
  
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"You're doing WHAT tonight?!"  
  
Hearing that is never a good thing. And did I hear it; over and over again. What, you might wonder, caused this question to br asked of me? I had simply uttered the phrase "I'm baby-sitting for your cousin." Now, I know you're confused. Who is "your" and who is their cousin? For that matter, who am I?  
  
My name is Mia. I'm eighteen, second oldest of four (my twin's got me beaten by seventeen minutes.), a senior at JCHS and the biggest dork in the world. Well, not the biggest...my boyfriend, Xellos, (who had asked the question that started this story) is even more annoying and dorky than I am. The person in question was his little cousin, Phibrizio.   
  
Any way, now that that's taken care of...on with the story.  
  
"I told you, Xel. I'm sitting for Phibrizio tonight. His mom pays well and I need some extra cash for the DC trip." I told him (Author's Note: I'll have a chapter involving said trip posted after we go to DC ^_^). "The kid's a Hellraiser. Can't you just get extra hours at the library?" My BF protested. "I mean, he's awful. You'll regret this." Could he get any more melodramatic? I didn't think so. "I'll be fine. I've spent time with the little guy before." I told him. "Only when Uncle Shabby is there; not alone. You don't know what you're getting into." "Oh, chill out. And I can't get extra time at the library, it doesn't work that way." He sighed out of exasperation. "Don't say I didn't warn you..."  
  
I had been warned also by my friend Guilia that Phibrizio was horrible. Guilia Ul Copt, one of my casual friends, was related very distantly to Xellos' family. Guilia's sister, Filia, hated Xellos and the two blond girls always told me what a terror their little fifth cousin-once-removed was.  
  
I, of course didn't believe it. I'd seen the kid at Xel's house and he was the cutest thing. He had long, dark hair and the brightest green eyes I'd ever seen. He was only nine and was always so polite. So how was I supposed to know he would make my night miserable?  
  
Promptly at six o'clock, I rang the bell at their house. Phibrizio answered the door, looking as adorable and cheerful as ever. "Hiya, Mia!" He exclaimed, "I can't belive you're gonna stay with me while Mom and Dad go out!" I smiled. "Hi, Phibrizio." I said to him. "MO-OM, DAD!!! MIA'S HERE!" He yelled. His parents came down the stairs together. "Hello, Mia." His dad said, "Phibrizio's already eaten and I expect him to be in bed by ten o'clock. Gaav," He went on, referring to his older son (a college freshman), "Should be home no later than midnight. He'll make sure you get paid and give you a ride home." I nodded, and he looked at his small son. "You had better be good." He warned. then they were out the door.  
  
Phibby and I looked at one another as the door swung shut. Then a grin crossed his face. "Let's go outside!" He suggested. "All right. Let's go." That was fine with me, as long as he stayed away from the reservoir. His family lived near my best friend Merry's and I knew kids got in trouble for going in the res.   
  
He pulled his shoes on and I followed him out the door. "Stay in the yard, Phibby." I told him. Did he listen? Nooo....he just scampered right off into the trees. "Come and find me, if you can!" He laughed. I looked for him. And looked for him. And began to get worried. "Phibrizio! C'mon out! I give up!" I called. Nothing. "Come on; it's not funny!" Still nothing. So I tramped out through the woods to find him.  
  
Where was he? In the res, of course. He was about ankle deep, splashing around with a couple of freshmen from my school. "You're all right, Kid." I heard one of them say, "Here, you want a cigarette?" He made a face. "No. Aunt Zelas smokes. It's disgusting." That didn't sit well with the teenager. "Are you saying I'm disgusting, you little brat?" I ran forwards and dragged him out of the water. "Phibrizio! What are you doing?!" I demanded. " 'M just havin' a little fun." He protested. "I told you to stay in the yard. Come on, we're going back in the house."  
  
He kicked and screamed and protested the whole way, so I wound up carrying him and getting myself nice and muddy on the way up the hill and through the woods. I left his wet shoes out on the porch and forced him upstairs and into the bath tub. He insisted that he could take a bath himself, so I let him.   
  
Big mistake. Water all over the floor, half a bottle of shampoo wasted, you name it, he managed to do it. He did sit still while I cleaned up the floor and toweled and combed his hair. He didn't even complain that I was pulling the tangles.  
  
As I combed out the last snarl, the phone rang. "Oh, oh, I'll get it!" He scampered out of the bathroom and down the hall to his parents' room. "H'llo? Mm-hm...hold on...MIA, IT'S FOR YOU!!!!!!"   
  
I went to see who it was. He held the receiver in one hand, covered the mouthpiece with the other. "Guess who it is." He said eagerly. "Your mom?" "Nope." "Your dad?" "Wrong again. One more wrong guess and I hang up." "...Your brother?" "WRONG!" He went to drop it back in the cradle, but I wrestled it out of his hands. "Don't-you-dare ...Let go...NOW!! ...Hello?" I managed to finally get it away from him. "Sounds like everything's going smoothly." Came Xellos' sarcastic voice, "How you holdin' up?" He asked. "I'm exhausted and it's only been an hour..." I sank down onto the bed. "Well, I have a little advice. Tell him you're gonna call Grandma if he doesn't behave. Grandma scares him. He'll be good." He assured me. "Oh, thanks. What's her number?" I couldn't pretend to call without a number. "Oh, don't worry about that. Uncle Shabby's got her on speed-dial. Good luck." Then he hung up.  
  
Thus ended Phibrizio's reign of terror. I found him in the kitchen, rumaging around for candy his mom had hidden God-only-knows where. "What do we think we're doing?" I inquired. "...know it's here somewhere..." He muttered. "Honestly, Phibby, what would your grandmother say?" I asked slyly. He was instantly out of the cupboard. "What about Grandma?" Was I wrong, or was that a hint of fear in his voice? "Well, I was just thinking...she'll probably be disappointed with the way you're behaving." He frowned. "I'll be good! I promise! Just don't call her!!" He begged. "Well, what would you rather do instead of mess up the kitchen then?"  
  
We wound up playing with his marbles for a while, then we watched some gameshows on TV. Later, after I'd gottne him into his pajamas, we fooled around with his Dragon Ball Z action figures and read a book together. And I actually wound up having fun.  
  
" 'M sorry I was bad before, Mia." He told me as I tucked him in. "I don't like baby-sitters. They're always mean and yell at me. But you were nice." He yawned and I smiled. He really wasn't a bad kid. "Good night, Phibby." I told him. "G'night." He yawned again.  
  
"So, how was he?" Gaav asked as he drove me home. I liked Gaav well enough. He was a year older than me and best friends with my sister's friend, Valgaav (another distant -and I do mean DISTANT- relation of Xel's). "He was okay after a while." He half smiled. "Had to use the 'call Grandma' method, didn't you?" I grinned. "Yeah. But he's a good kid." A cheerful nod. "That's my brother. A living Hell." I shook my head. "I was worse as a kid." He shrugs. "Oh well. You can't pick your relatives. You've just got to put up with them."   
  
He dropped me off in front of my house. "Thanks for the ride. Tell your mom to call again next time she needs a sitter for Phibby." A grin crossed his face. "She won't make you go through that again for a long time."  
  
"Well?" Elisa was waiting up for me in our room. "How'd it go?" I smiled wanly. "All that stuff about him being a monster? It's a buncha BS. He's a perfect kid, if you say the right things." She grinned "You got paid a lot, huh?" I nodded happily. "You bet. I guess I'm the only one who'll sit for him. But to tell you the truth, I like the kid. He reminds me of me." She looked at me in mock horror. "NO! You were AWFUL. Poor Gaav..." A shrug. "Oh well. You can't choose your relatives..."  
  
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AN: okay, okay, i know the ending sucks._ but this could drag on forever if i don't stop. and i got bored. but i wrote this because I LOVE PHIBBY!!!!!!!! he is too cute for his own good. oh, and their grandma is L-Sama (or the equivilant of), that's why he's afraid of her. ^_^ 


	4. Homecoming

Homecoming  
  
*Author's Note: this is for Child-of-the-Dawn, who requested that i hook up Lina and Gourry. i was planning on it anyway, and i got to thinking about Lina's personality and this is what came to mind. enjoy C-o-t-D! ^_^ *  
  
*****************  
  
I wasn't there to see it, but I heard all about it. Elisa and I were in NYC on Homcoming weekend, with our cousin and Grandma. We went to the Metropolitan Museum of art, but that's another story. This one is about the dance.  
  
Merry and Rini filled me in on what happened. I guess it was pretty bad.   
  
Lina almost got kicked out.   
  
Gourry was the candidate for Homecoming King from the Pep Club. No one had more spirit than that boy. You couldn't if you tried. And he, being blond-haired and blue-eyed -not to mention muscular- had quite the fanclub. Which made Lina extemely jealous.  
  
Come the Thursday afternoon pep rally, almost every one was sure he had won for king. Guilia said he was going to win. She was the candidate for the newspaper, Cat Tails, along with a guy named Tomas, and she knew the voting was based on popularity. We all hoped he would win. It'd be nice to see some one who wasn't a prep win.  
  
What we feared was Zahra winning as queen. She was the Student Government candidate and I'd overheard her in the hall several times saying she hoped that she and Gourry won because there'd be a big fuss over the two of them and she'd get to dance with him. Then, she assumed, he'd realize how beautiful she was and give up on "that flat-chested junior" (Lina). This would mean trouble. It would not set well with Lina if the guy she was in love with (although he was oblivious to the fact that she was in love with him) was crowned with the girl she couldn't stand.   
  
The buzz around the school that afternoon was that almost every underclassman girl had voted for Gourry simply because he was gorgeous. The upperclassmen had voted for their friends. They weren't quite as shallow.  
  
I'd voted for him, of course. He was my good friend after all. I'd voted for Guilia for queen. I figured Lina would have no objections to her friend's sister being queen. That she didn't.   
  
We left after school to go to my grandma's. Elisa, Mom, Kristienne, Raeshell and Grandma were going on the trip together and we were staying at Gram's house the night before. Merry filled me in later on the evening.   
  
The dance was that night and they were announcing the King and Queen at it. Gourry had taken Lina along as his date, which pleased her, but that didn't stop the girls from fawning over him. Which made Lina immensely jealous.   
  
Merry went with Mike, of course. Valgaav had asked Filia and she'd shyly accepted. Xellos took Rini (I knew he'd never cheat on me but his taking Rini was a good way to insure that.) because they were friends. And, I found out from Guilia, Zelgadiss had asked, of all people, Amelia, the little Freshman who had a crush on him. And she'd made a little noise like "eep" before she said yes. That was something I would have liked to see. Brooding, angsty Zel with a hyper little freshie would have been an interesting site.  
  
Anyway, all the candidates were there, dressed up nice and pretty (Zahra, as usual, had on a rather strange outfit, which she still managed to look good in.). I guess they had them line up with their escorts and then they announced and crowned the winners.  
  
Guess who won. Go ahead; guess.  
  
If you said Zahra and Gourry, you're right. Lina was not pleased. Not pleased at all. She liked it well enough that Gourry had won, she was proud of him. but Zahra...Merry told me the poor girl's face went as scarlet as her hair when they crowned her.  
  
Poor Lina had to stand there and watch as Gourry danced with Zahra. The pretty blond senior seemed to be reveling in her victory as my friend beheld their glide across the gym floor.  
  
The red-head waited patiently, even Zelgadiss told me so. She stood there off to the side, remaining solitary until the song was over and she could reclaim Gourry as her own.  
  
This, however, did not happen.  
  
Which meant trouble.  
  
Lina tried to cut in on Gourry and Zahra, but the queen refused to let go of her king. Gourry -as usual- was at a loss for what to do or what to say to Zahra. He didn't know what to tell her, so he just kept swirling around the floor with her.  
  
At first, Lina had just sort of moped around. Then she got angry. Enough was enough. She marched out across the dance floor and yanked Zahra away from Gourry.  
  
"What the Hell do you think you're doing?" The surprised senior demanded.  
  
"He brought ME as his date, not you. I think I should get to dance with him." Lina retorted.  
  
"Well he's obviously having a good time with me, so get lost."  
  
"I won't, you skank!"  
  
"What did you say, you little bitch?"  
  
"You heard me! And you are! You're a tramp! Leave Gourry alone!" Lina was screaming at this point, her face flushed red.  
  
Zahra glared at her, her eyes burning with hatred. "Look, he doesn't want to dance with you. You look like a little boy in a dress, Lina Inverse. You're nothing but a flat-chested little bitch."  
  
Zelgadiss told me Lina's face turned several shades of purple and red. Then she lunged at Zahra, knocking her to the floor. "Shut up!!!!!!! SHUT UP!!!!!!!"  
  
Some one had ran and gotten a teacher when the fight first broke out. Now Miss C and Mr. Tombier were trying to drag Lina off of the older girl.  
  
"I wanna kill her! I hate her! I can't stand her!!!"  
  
"Lina! Lina, calm down!" Gourry looked kind of puzzled and shocked at the same time. "What the hell are you doing, Lina?" He stepped around her and offered a hand to Zahra to help her up.  
  
Zahra was in tears because her dress was ruined, Lina because she was so angry and so jealous and so heartbroken over the turn out night's events. She ran from the gym, crying, and out into the parking lot before any one could say a word to her.   
  
Zahra's friends immediately flocked to her and began talking at once. Snatches of "that girl is insane" and "who does she think she is?" drifted out from the small mob they formed on center court.  
  
My friends, meanwhile, were all standing open-mouthed, in disbelief over what happened. The other bystanders whispered amongst themselves about the scuffle for a while, but eventually focused back on the dance and life resumed as normal in the gym.  
  
But outside, Lina was sitting on the hood of Gourry's car, her face buried in her hands.  
  
"Why? Why did I do that? I'm so stupid. I must've looked like the biggest idiot..."  
  
"No, not the biggest." Came a teasing voice.  
  
She raised her tear-stained face. "Gourry?" Her voice was no more than a whisper, "I'm sorry I ruined it."  
  
He sat down beside her. "You didn't really ruin it. You just...added a little excitement."  
  
"You must hate me."  
  
"Why would I hate you? I could never hate you."  
  
"Really?" She wiped her eyes.  
  
"Really." He smiled. "But Lina, why'd you do it?"  
  
"I...I was jealous."  
  
"Jealous? Of Zahra?"  
  
"Mm-hm."  
  
"Why? You think I like her or somethin'?"  
  
"It crossed my mind..."  
  
"You've got to be kidding! I could never love her."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because I love you, Lina."   
  
"Really?"  
  
"Really."  
  
"I love you too. You were always my best friend, but I don't want to be just best friends any more."  
  
He hugged her. "I'm glad."  
  
She rested her head on his shoulder. "Can we go home?"  
  
He was quiet for a moment. "Listen." The strains of Garth Brooks' "The Dance" were filtering out of the gym. "Would you like to dance, Lina?"  
  
She giggled. "I thought you'd never ask." She held up her skirt and curtsied to him and he bowed. Then he swept her into his arms and they swirled around the parking lot together.  
  
All I was told of the evening by Lina was how she felt when he kissed her and the thought that went through her mind was "I could have missed the pain, but I would have had to miss the dance."  
  
And I had missed it. Oh well. There was always next time... 


	5. The New Boy

"Can...Can I sit here?"   
  
I looked up to the sound of an unfamiliar voice. A boy I'd never seen before stood looking down at me, his face half hidden under his bangs. He was tall, thin and nicely dressed -as if he came from a family of a decent background- but his voice hinted at uncertainty.   
  
I smiled. "Sure. Xellos usually sits there, but he's not here today." I turned around in my seat to look at him as he sat down. He was a very average looking boy (he could've blended into a crowd easily) and I wondered if he was new or I just never saw him before.   
  
He glanced at me shyly. "I'm Milgasia. We just moved here and I don't know anybody. What...what's your name?"  
  
I grinned. "I'm Mia. I've lived here forever. Where you from?"  
  
"The Poconos."  
  
I laughed and he gave me a strange look. "What?"  
  
"My friend Renee used to think the Poconos were an island chain." I explained.  
  
"I heard that!" Renee said good-naturally as she slid into her seat.   
  
"That's Renee. This is Milgasia. He's new."   
  
He nodded in her direction and she waved, then turned to the boy beside her, Pat. Milgasia looked back at me and I shrugged. "She's just being herself. She's got her friends, I've got mine. ...Let me see your schedule." He produced a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to me. I studied it for a moment. "Ooo...we have Government and English together! And lunch. Cool. I can introduce you to all my friends."  
  
He sort of smiled. "Okay."  
  
"Hey, Mia!" Guilia was hanging around in the art room when I got to crafts later in the morning, "What's up?"   
  
"There's a new guy." I dumped my bag on the table, "He's really nice, but kinda shy. He has APGov and English with us."   
  
She grinned. "New guy, eh? And on the day Xellos isn't here...How convenient."  
  
I frowned. "What's that supposed to mean? If you're saying I'd dump Xel for some guy I don't even know..."  
  
"Hey, I never said that! Look, I gotta go. I'll meet him in APGov, okay?"   
  
"Fine. Get going. Have fun in furniture." I plopped down at the table, trying to think of what to do.  
  
I waited in the hall after class for Milgasia to show up. He had Spanish 5 the period I had crafts and the rooms were near each other. He looked relieved to see me standing there. A small smile crossed his face and he greeted me cheerfully.  
  
"The Spanish teacher is psycho." He informed me.   
  
I nodded. "I know. She teaches my French class too. C'mon, you'll like this...we sit around and debate about voting all the time."   
  
His eyebrow went up. "Voting? I don't vote. I could care less about voting."   
  
"Finally! Some one who sides with me! Now Kat won't be able to just harass me about it!!" I pulled him through the door. "Sit here," I indicated a desk, "So Kary can't. She's annoying and she smells like feet." He obediently sat as Guilia bounded into the room.  
  
"Hi!!!!! I gave myself a big sliver in furniture, I didn't do the homework," She threw her purse down on her desk, "And I'm in desperate need of chocolate!"  
  
"That's Guilia." I told Milgasia, "She's one of my good friends." He nodded and I beckoned Guilia over to my desk. "This is Milgasia. He's new."  
  
"Ooo... and cute too!" She grinned, "I'm Guilia. Nice ta meetcha!"  
  
He blushed. "He-hello." He stammered.   
  
I smiled as I sat down. Guilia liked him well enough. And I liked him too. He was very pleasant to be around.  
  
"Okay class. Today we're talking about..."  
  
I sort of phased Mr. T out. Government is most certainly not my favorite subject. I doodled in my notebook until I heard my name and the word "vote" in the same sentence. Then I snapped back to attention.  
  
Kat had made some comment about my lack of interest in voting, apparently, and Milgasia was defending me. "Look, if you're so concerned about it, you be the one to vote. I don't care, Mia doesn't care. It's really none of your business."   
  
"You should care!" She argued, "Every one should care!"  
  
"But we don't." He responded calmly, "Why lie to ourselves and say we do? Why obscure the truth?"  
  
Kat slumped down in her seat in a huff, a disgruntled expression on her face. Apparently, she had no response to that and that angered her. She liked having the last word.  
  
Relieved, I looked at Milgasia and grinned. Kat and I usually wound up screaming at one another before Mr. T changed the subject, but I hadn't said a thing and that was good. I was in a fairly decent mood, and I didn't need an argument to ruin it.   
  
He smiled back at me shyly, his eyes lit with amusement. His expression seemed to say: "why does she even bother when she obviously doesn't know what she's talking about?"  
  
Come lunch time, I led Milgasia to our usual table. Some of my friends were already grouped there, picking at their lunches. Elisa looked up without even receiving a word of greeting from me (we are twins, you know...). "Hey, Mia. Have you seen what-- Who's that?" She nodded in the blond's direction.  
  
"This is Milgasia. He just moved here. That's my twin, Elisa."  
  
He half smiled. "Hello."  
  
"That's Lina, Gourry, Zelgadiss, Merry, Mike, Filia and Valgaav." I indicated each of my friends as I said their name. Lina and Gourry looked up briefly from their lunches to say hello. Zel gave only his customary nod as a greeting. Val didn't do anything, which was not uncommon for him, but the other three were friendly.  
  
"How do you like it here so far?" Merry asked as we sat down.   
  
He shrugged. "It's okay, I guess. But it's a lot bigger than my old school. I don't really know if I like it or not yet."  
  
Mike looked at him "You play any sports?"  
  
"Tennis."  
  
"Zel plays tennis too."   
  
"You remind me of some one..." Filia studied him through her sapphire eyes, "You look like my Uncle Ceipheed."  
  
A strange look crossed Milgasia's face. "My dad is your uncle? And we're cousins?"  
  
She shrugged. "I guess so. That's the part of the family Daddy lost touch with a long time ago."  
  
Valgaav finally glanced up from his lunch. "Fi, that guy's your cousin?" He peered at Milgasia from under his aqua hair. Filia nodded and Val looked at her a moment, then back at my new friend. "I can see the resemblance...The hair, the facial features, only his eyes are such a strange color."   
  
We sat down and began eating. Elisa taped me on the shoulder. "Hmm?" I looked over at her, "What?" She frowned, "What's Xellos gonna think about this?" She hissed. "About what?" I swallowed. "You with this new guy. I mean, he's not here and you're hanging around with another guy and, besides that, he's a cute guy!"   
  
"Shut up!" I growled. "I love Xel. I'm not gonna ditch him for some one I don't even know!" But I had a funny feeling sown in the pit of my stomach. Elisa could see right through me. She knew I was fascinated by Milgasia; his upper-class mannerisms and placid attitude were a big difference from Xellos' middle-class, excitable and wild personality.  
  
"I dunno, Sis. He seems quite taken by you. I don't think this friendship will sit well with Xellos. And I can tell you're fond of him already too. You'll have to chose in the end. One of them will get hurt and I know you can't stand hurting people."  
  
I frowned. She was right and I knew it. But I guessed we'd all have to wait and see... 


	6. And the New Girl

Xellos was back at school the next day. I had thought he was sick, but apparently not. He was waiting for my at my locker, a very pretty girl stood next to him.   
  
"Hey Mia." He grinned, "I missed you yesterday." I looked from him to the girl. She was smiling and I felt a little put off. Who was she and why was she with my boyfriend? "Hi, Xel. Were you sick?" I asked. His grin widened. "Nah...Me and Mom had to go get Dolphin here." He indicated the girl, "She's going to school here now."   
  
She was looking at me from under a fringe of blue hair. Her azure eyes were lit with excitement and her hands flapped wildly. "HI!HI!HI!HI!HI!" She exclaimed in rapid succession. "She's really excited about being here." Xellos explained, "And she gets really queer when she's excited."   
  
I was at a loss for words. "But...Who is she, Xellos?" She was sort of bouncing up and down, a dopey grin plastered on her face. "She's Phibby and Gaav's sister." He told me. "Their sister?" I was even more confused. "She's not quite right...Uncle Shabby's had her off at some special school for a while, but they decided to mainstream her. Mom and I went with them to pick her up yesterday. She's a sophomore." His explanation made sense, but I was still confused. "Oh." That was all I could say at that point. "Oh."   
  
"Well, I've got to take her to her class. I'll see ya in psychology, Mia." He said cheerfully, "C'mon, Dolphin, you'll like it." She hugged him, "YAY!!!" and they went off down the hall together, leaving me standing at my locker.   
  
Absently, I spun the dial on my lock. As I pulled things out of my locker, I thought about what had just happened. He had blown me off for her. But then, she was his cousin...And who was I to get in the way of his responsibilities? Only his best friend in the world. Okay, maybe I shouldn't have, but I did feel a little hurt.   
  
Milgasia was sitting in Xellos' desk, waiting for me when I got to psych. He smiled and said hello as I slid into my seat. "Xellos is here today, so you're not going to be able to sit there." I told him. He frowned slightly. "Oh. I'll move." He looked crushed. Dear God, Elisa was right. He was, to put it her way, "quite taken by me." I fiddled with my pen, "Look, I like sitting by you. Maybe Renee will switch seats with some one and you can have her seat." He stood up. "No, it's not a big deal."   
  
But it was a big deal. As Xellos flounced into the room, I began to re-evaluate our relationship. We were close. We'd been friends for our whole lives, best friends for seven years. Of course we were close and I loved him very much. But was I in love with him? I wasn't sure any more. I rested my head on my book bag (it was on my desk) and closed my eyes, which was the thing I did most when bothered by something or tired.   
  
"Hey, what's wrong?" I heard Xellos' voice in my ear. "I don't know...I have a lot on my mind." I said as a lame excuse. "Oh? What are you thinking about?" He pressed. "A lot of things...I don't really want to talk about it right now." I sighed. My life was coming unraveled.   
  
Baking class was most interesting that day. Not only was Xellos up to his usual high jinx, but Dolphin had been added to the class and she was proving to be a very...unique...individual. She was, as we would have said at camp, a "special needs boater."   
  
Mrs. Hollis introduced her to the class and she stood at the front of the room flapping her hands and looking quite terrified. Then she caught sight of the fish tank and the hand flapping increased. "Oh! Oh, FISH!!" She exclaimed. In a moment, she was peering through the aquarium into the murky water, looking for the lone goldfish. "Fish?"   
  
Mrs Hollis was at a loss as to what she should do, but Xellos knew exactly how to handle the situation. "Dolly, " He called her by a pet name, "Come here and sit down." She looked at him, grinning, "What's the fish's name, Xelly?" He looked back at her seriously, "If I tell you, will you promise to sit down and be a good girl?" She nodded, "Yes, Xelly." He smiled. "Good. The fish's name is George. Now come here and sit by me and Mia like you promised."   
  
He kept her under control all period. I guess he was used to her. I found out from Guilia that his mother had watched Dolphin for a while when Shabby needed a break from her to focus attention on Phibrizio, Gaav and their oldest brother, Dynast. Guilia, being related to them, knew all this. I did not. It was the first time I'd heard anything about Dynast, who was a senior at the University of Scraton. I'd known Xellos all my life and I hardly knew anything about his family.   
  
"Lis," I said to my sister that night, "I've been thinking..." She looked up from her physics homework, "If it's about Xellos, his cousin and what I think of her, I don't want to hear about it."She muttered distractedly.   
  
"No, this is about me and Xellos. Did you know he has a cousin named Dynast? And that he's Gaav and Phibrizio's brother?" She nodded. "Sure. I hang around with Gaav sometimes, you know. I've heard all about the perfect brother, Dynast, who graduated first in his class and is a chess wizard. I even knew about Dolphin too. You didn't?" I frowned, "No, Xellos never bothered to tell me about either of them. How long do you suppose our going out will last, Elisa?"   
  
She was quite for a while as she stared at her text book. "I'm sorry, Sis," She finally looked up, "But I can't see the relationship lasting more than a couple more weeks, what with Milgasia around and all. But I don't think a break up will end a life time of friendship. You probably shouldn't have been going out in the first place. People always say you shouldn't try to date your friends." I flopped down on my bed. "I suppose you're right..."   
  
The next morning, I got a ride to school with Guilia and Filia so I'd be there nice and early, as opposed to taking the bus and arriving right before the first bell. I went to my locker, then hunted Xellos down. He was in the cafeteria, eating breakfast. "Mia, hiya. You're here early today." I sat down next to him, "We need to talk." The smile vanished from his face. "About what?" I thought for a moment, "Me and you. I really do love you, Xellos, but I don't think this is going to work. We're too close for a high school romance." He frowned. "This has something to do with that new kid, doesn't it?" He accused.   
  
"No...No, it's not because of Milgasia. Xel, we can't try and fool ourselves. It's not working the way either of us wanted. I know it. You know it. Every one knows. It's just a matter of time before we end up hating each other over this and I don't want to lose you." I explained. He sighed. "You are right. It was good for a while, but it wouldn't have lasted. We know too many disturbing things about one another." I nodded, "Or there are things we don't know about each other..."   
  
A smile crossed his face. "Sorry I never mentioned Dynast or Dolphin. My mom hates Dolphin considerably and I don't talk about her much. And Dynast...you don't know what it's like to have an honest-to-goodness genius in your family. I try to avoid talking about him, because every one expects us to be just as smart as him."   
  
I smiled. "It's all right. Friends?" He grinned. "Forever." Then he tossed his arms around me, "You've set me free!" He exclaimed, "Now I can go back to chasing around cheerleaders!" I shook my head. "Why do I put up with you?" He smiled like the Cheshire cat, "Because of my charm?" I laughed. "I don't think I'd quite call it 'charm,' but yes, I suppose so."   
  
  
And thus ended my first real relationship, if you could call it that. We'd never really gone on a date or anything, but the word love had been tossed around freely. Funny thing was, as much as I loved Xellos, I was far happier just being his friend. Strange how life works sometimes.   



	7. Filling the Hole

Some time went by and it was almost Thanksgiving. Xellos and I were just as close as ever. Milgasia had been welcomed into the crowd by every one but Xel (the two of them just didn't like one another...) and Dolphin loved all her classes. I found out what was wrong with her. She was very disturbed as a child by God-only-knows what and she also had slightly autistic behaviors, like the hand flapping thing. But she was functional and a sweeter girl I never knew.  
  
It was the last day of school before Thanksgiving break when life got interesting again. I got accepted at the college I wanted to go to and was extremely happy about it. That really made my day.  
  
There was a dance that night and I hadn't planned on going. I wasn't big on dances. And besides, I didn't really have any one to go with any more. Most of my friends had people to go with and I'd feel weird going alone.  
  
Elisa was getting ready to go out while I was watching Dragon Ball, when she switched off the TV.   
  
"HEY!" I exclaimed, "What was that for?!" She looked at me. "You're coming to the dance." She stated. "I don't want to. I don't do dances." I flicked the TV back on. "If you don't go, you'll regret it." She informed me. "Why? I hate dances. I just go watch other people dance with the guys I like and feel bad about it." I muttered. "What about the guys that like you, Mia? They'll be disappointed." She threw a shirt from our closet at me, "Here, wear this." I frowned. "I told you, I'm not going."   
  
She sighed. "Look, Mia, you need to go. It's going to be fun." I sat up. There was something she wasn't telling me. Something she knew was going to happen that undoubtedly involved me. "Fine." I looked at the shirt. She knew me too well. It was one of my favorites. "I'll go. I guess I can tell every one about getting my letter."  
  
Elisa and I had car privileges that night. So we piled me, her, Kristienne, Siôn and Siôn's best friend Jozua into the car and drove up to school. Kristienne, Siôn and Jozua went off with their friends and we met up with a bunch of ours in the parking lot.  
  
"Guess what!" I exclaimed excitedly. "What?" Guilia asked. She was digging her wallet out of her purse while her sister was talking to Valgaav and Milgasia. I later learned that Val had asked Filia to go with him (no surprise there) and Guilia was waiting for her sort of boyfriend, Bradan, to arrive. Zelgadiss was trying to fend off all the girls who wee already asking if he'd dance with them while Amelia stood there looking ready to kill them all. Xellos was bounding around the parking lot, saying hello to every one. Merry and Mike hadn't arrived yet and Lina was throwing snowballs at Gourry.  
  
"I GOT MY LETTER TODAY!!!" I announced to all who could hear me (which probably included the whole neighborhood for a three block radius). Every one fell silent and looked at me. Then Lina broke into a grin. "OH! Cool! They took you?!" I nodded proudly. "Yup. I'm going to SUNY O." I bragged.   
  
Suddenly, I found myself mobbed by my friends, all of whom were congratulating me. There was a flurry of hugs, high fives and pats on the back. Xellos was the most pleased. He knew how much I wanted to go there. He was hugging me when I caught sight of Milgasia. He was sort of hanging back, watching the whole thing, a look of...maybe jealousy on his face. I wasn't surprised. Xellos was acting like we were still going out.  
  
We finally went into the gym. I actually did have fun in the end. I was too happy about being accepted at SUNY O to care about much else. Even the tension between Xellos and Milgasia didn't really get to me. And I hated seeing the two of them fight. Especially over me.  
  
I'm not much of a dancer. That's part of why I hate dances. They aren't really that fun if you don't dance. I'd only ever been asked to dance once by a guy before and he was some one I'd known for a long time. I never really felt comfortable at dances.   
  
So I was standing at the side of the gym, miserably watching every one else have a good time, when Milgasia approached me. He looked at me shyly. "You...wanna dance, Mia?" I thought for a moment. "I'm not very good at it..." He smiled, "That's okay. I'm not either. I just want to see what it'd be like..." I nodded. "All right."  
  
The DJ was playing "Black Balloon" by the Goo Goo Dolls. That, coincidentally, was one of my favorite songs. Unfortunately, we were sort of awkward with one another. You always see all the couples snuggled up to one another. Not us. Not at first, at least.   
_  
Baby's black balloon makes her fly  
I almost fell into that hole in your life  
And you're not thinking about tomorrow  
_Cause you were the same as me  
But on your knees_  
  
"I like this song." I commented. He smiled, "It is a very good song. I like it too. It reminds me..." He paused, "Of you." I blushed. "Of me?" A nod, "Yeah, I feel like I fell into your life all of a sudden and I really like you because we're a lot alike." He said softly. I smiled. "I like you too."  
_  
A thousand other boys could never reach you  
How could I have been the one  
I saw the would spin beneath you  
And scatter like ice from the spoon  
That was your womb_  
  
"You do? I never would have thought you did. I know you and Xellos broke up, but still..." He trailed off, "You seem untouchable, like a guy could never get close to you. I never know what to say to you." I felt slightly happier hearing that. Elisa was right. He really liked me. "I do like you. Xellos thought I broke up with him because of you."  
  
"You didn't, did you?" He asked concernedly. I smiled, "Oh, no. He and I are too good of friends to go out. It wasn't working." We were getting more comfortable with one another and, at this point, our foreheads rested together.  
  
Comin' down the world turned over  
And angels fall without you there  
And I go on as you get colder  
Or are you someone's prayer  
  
Elisa and Guilia were congratulating one another on setting us up like that. Guilia had promised him if he asked me to dance to that song I'd do it and Elisa had actually convinced me to go to the dance. They were quite proud of themselves. "Heh...Told you it'd work. As much as she denies it, Sis likes him a lot." Elisa said. "God, Lis, they're falling in love right before our eyes...Look how he's looking at her." Guilia agreed.  
_  
You know the lies they always told you  
And the love you never knew  
What's the things they never showed you  
That swallowed the light from the sun  
Inside your room_  
  
I was staring into his eyes, lost in them, and I was not going to come out of that happy moment any time soon. I had my arms wrapped around him and we were both very happy right then. "I don't understand why you say guys don't like you." He said quietly, "You're wonderful." I blushed again. "Milgasia..." And rested my head on his shoulder.  
_  
Comin' down the world turned over  
And angels fall without you there  
And I go on as you get colder_  
  
"Look at that..." Merry whispered to Mike, "Look at Mia. I've never seen her like that." Mike nodded, "She looks so relaxed." They were swaying together, happy that I was happy.  
  
Amelia watched kind of jealously. While she and Zel had gone out casually before, she wanted the kind of moment we were having.  
  
Val and Filia weren't paying much attention. They were snuggled up in one anothers arms. It had taken them a lot to admit to liking one another, but once they had...  
  
Not that I was aware of any of this. I was to happy to care about anything else. It was my moment.  
_  
And there's no time left for losin'  
When you stand they fall  
Comin' down the years turn over  
And angels fall without you there  
And I go on as you grow colder  
All because I'm_  
  
Our eyes met once more towards the end of the song. And that was it...The first kiss. My first real kiss. Oh, there had been kisses with Xellos, but not like that. It was undescribable. I felt like I would die right there.  
_  
Comin' down the years turned over  
And angels fall without you there  
And I'll go on to bring you home  
All because I'm  
All because I'm  
And I'll become  
What you became to me_  
  
My friends were in ecstasy that I'd found what they all had. Even Xel didn't mind much. He told me later that as long as I was happy, he was happy.  
  
As the song ended, Milgasia and I hugged one another. "I guess," I told him, "You've become what I became to you." He nodded. "I guess so."   
  



End file.
